Much trading today involves some computer support, from simple information delivery to sophisticated trading systems that automate transactions of goods and services. Electronic trading systems and methods have gained widespread acceptance for trading of a wide variety of items ranging from financial instruments (such as stocks, bonds, currency, futures, options, etc.) to household goods (such as old records, antiques, wines, etc.).
As electronic trading becomes more popular, an increasing number of traders are in need of new systems and methods to enter trade commands in a quick, efficient and accurate manner. This is especially true given that market conditions change quickly as trades are executed at a fast pace. Price positions may therefore change rapidly and sometimes almost simultaneously. Users of such systems therefore face the risk of entering trade commands at erroneous price levels by, for example, using a mouse pointer to select a price that may have changed by the time the command is registered by the system. Such erroneous entries can lead to highly undesirable results in a rapidly changing market. Many such users are traders that track more than one active market by typically looking at multiple windows, interfaces or screens simultaneously, thereby increasing the likelihood that such erroneous entries occur.
It would be therefore desirable to provide systems and methods for protecting against the occurrence of erroneous price entries in electronic trading while ensuring that trade commands are entered in an efficient and accurate manner.